1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a game operating device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a game operating device that analyzes movements of an operating device through detection of a predetermined mark or pattern in an image taken by an imaging device.
2. Description of the Related Arts
Some operating devices as related arts of this kind of game operating device are disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3422383 and Japanese Patent Laying-open No. 2002-233665.
The related art disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3422383 makes it possible to play a shooting game by arranging light emitters at four locations in such a manner as to surround a video screen, providing a CCD camera to a barrel of a shooting gun to take an image containing the four light emitters, and calculating a designation position in the video screen based on information on image positions of the four light emitters contained in the imaging data at that time.
As similar to that of Japanese Patent No. 3422383, the related art of Japanese Patent Laying-open No. 2002-233665 also makes it possible to image a target containing at least four characteristic points in one plane, calculate an attitude parameter of an imaging surface with respect to the plane based on the obtained image data, and make a change to the target based on the parameter.
Japanese Patent No. 3422383 implies no specific shape of the input operating means but discloses the use of a “gun”.
Additionally, Japanese Patent Laying-open No. 2002-233665 discloses a specific shape of the gun-type controller. In using this gun-type controller for input operations, the direction of designation is to be the direction of the gun barrel. However, the portions corresponding to the barrel and the grip are separately located, and also the directions of the barrel and the grip are different. Thus, it is difficult to recognize intuitively the direction of designation only with a sensation in the hand holding the grip.
In this case, moreover, the thumb and the index finger are just placed on the grip, and mainly the middle finger, the ring finger, the small finger and the palm need to hold the gun. However, the barrel significantly extends off the holding portion, which causes a problem where the center of gravity of the entire gun cannot be firmly held and thus it is hard to fix the attitude of the gun. Furthermore, with occurrence of shakes due to trigger operation, it is difficult to operate continuously the gun-type controller at a high speed in a stable manner.